FIFA Club World Cup preview: Must-watch matches, tips, faves

The expanded Club World Cup begins this week, with 32 glamorous teams from Europe, South America, Asia, and more descending on the U.S. to do battle in a tournament FIFA hopes will become the pinnacle of club football.

The Cup team lineup is dripping with heavily-supported clubs, from Real Madrid and Manchester City to Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, and Chelsea, as well as Bayern Munich, Al-Hilal, Flamengo, Porto, and plenty more — and, of course, superstar names like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Ronwen Williams, Gio Reyna, Estêvão, and Neymar.

The Sporting Base takes a dive into the Club World Cup and its likely winners.

Where to watch

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Title favourites

There are a few easy answers to this one, not least Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, who seem to have found the secret sauce to take them to the next level — and saw the French titans finally clinch European hardware after so many tries. You can also never count Real Madrid out of any international tournament, with Kylian Mbappe hitting form at just the right time.

Oil-backed English heavyweights Manchester City may have had a down season through 2024/25 and finished 13 points behind eventual Premier League victors Liverpool, but Pep Guardiola would definitely see this Club World Cup as a perfect chance to atone for the team’s first trophyless campaign (and Pep’s first ever at the club) since 2016/17.

Don’t count out Flamengo either, though. With South America currently in the middle of a season, Brazilian and Argentine teams will come into the competition at the height of form. From among them, ladder-leading Flamengo is CONMEBOL’s best hope.

And, Bayern Munich is among the European threats that are simply too star-studded to ever rule out.

Must-watch group matches

Set your alarms for these; nearly all of them are group-deciding matches, in this Sporting Base writer’s eyes, and should hold the balance of power for who’ll advance into the Round of 16 and who’ll be going home disappointed early on in the States.

Some matches should just be cracking games too, like the competition opener between Al Ahly and Inter Miami, where fans will get a look at Lionel Messi in his U.S. club colours if they haven’t been watching the MLS through this latest domestic campaign.

Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal on June 19 should be a particular blockbuster to see how strong AFC teams will be.

So too Boca vs. Benfica, where South America has the chance to get over Europe.

Here’s all the must-watch games:

Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami — 10am, Sunday June 15

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atletico Madrid — 5am, Monday June 16

Palmeiras vs. Porto — 8am, Monday June 16

Boca Juniors vs. Benfica — 8am, Tuesday June 17

River Plate vs. Urawa Reds — 5am, Wednesday June 18

Real Madrid vs. Al-Hilal — 5am, Thursday June 19

Inter Miami vs. Porto — 5am, Friday June 20

Los Angeles vs. Espérance de Tunis — 8am, Saturday June 21

Fluminense vs. Ulsan — 8am, Sunday June 22

Red Bull Salzburg vs. Al-Hilal — 8am, Monday June 23

Benfica vs. Bayern Munich — 5am, Wednesday June 25

Juventus vs. Manchester City — 5am, Friday June 27

Teams to advance

There shouldn’t be too many surprises on the cards in the U.S., with Europe’s elite expanded to make it through the group stage and South America nipping hot on their heels. Some shocks may come in Group A, where we can see Egyptian powerhouses Al Ahly getting past Porto, and Group F, where Japan’s representatives Ulsan HD have a hot chance to oust Brazil’s Fluminense.

Maybe the other shock for European fans would be us tipping Salzburg to fall third behind Al Hilal in Group H, but the Crescent Moon stands as an outside threat. They scored 95 goals in 2024/25 and can certainly find the net.

Group A: Palmeiras, Al Ahly

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid

Group C: Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors

Group D: Chelsea, Flamengo

Group E: River Plate, Inter Milan

Group F: Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan

Group G: Manchester City, Juventus

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal

Who will be top goalscorer?

Harry Kane is a safe bet to take out the Club World Cup Golden Boot. He’s been lethal for Bayern Munich in the two seasons he’s been in Germany, scoring 36 goals in 32 games in his first season before bagging another 26 in 31 this campaign. He’s already three from three in England’s World Cup Qualifiers, too.

Perhaps the biggest reason he’s a good shot, though, is the German champion’s group draw: They face Boca Juniors, Benfica, and — most importantly, sorry to our New Zealand readers — Auckland City. We get that game quite early on the schedule too, with the Kiwi heavyweights taking on the Bavarians early on June 16 (Australian time).

Boca and Benfica are no pushovers either, but each did concede nearly a goal a game despite both contesting title fights in Argentina (ongoing) and Portugal, respectively.

With Munich’s game plan still setting up Kane, it could be a goalscorer’s dream in America.

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